United States: Congress to vote on cannabis legalization in September

The lower house of the US Congress will vote on a cannabis legalization bill in September.

No specific date has yet been set for the vote, but the whip Democrat urged his colleagues in a private email to pass the MORE Act during the «September work session».

The law MORE would remove federal prohibition of cannabis, expunge the records of those already convicted of cannabis and impose a 5% federal tax on sales, the proceeds of which would be reinvested in communities most affected by the war on drugs.

It would also create a reconsideration pathway for people incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses, protect immigrants from being denied citizenship for cannabis-related facts, and prevent federal agencies from denying public benefits or security clearances because of its use.

«Less than two years ago, we released our plan outlining a path to cannabis legalization in the 116th Congress,» Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), a leading advocate for reform in Congress, told Marijuana Moment. «Today, after many months of hard work and collaboration, we finally have a chance to end the failed policy of prohibition that has resulted in a long and shameful period of selective enforcement against people of color, especially black men.»

«As people across the country protest racial injustices, it's even more urgent for Congress to seize this historic opportunity and finally align our cannabis laws with what the majority of Americans support, while ensuring restorative justice,» he said.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), who along with Blumenauer is co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, said it was «extremely encouraging to see our House leadership moving forward on this issue« .

«These are challenging times in our fight for racial equity and law enforcement reform, and passage of the MORE Act is crucial to combating our country's history of injustice,» she said. «This is the next step in our goal to end the harmful prohibition of cannabis in 2021.»

If the House of Representatives approves the bill, the Republican-controlled Senate will then have to vote. Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is a ardent defender of hemp, But he maintained his unwavering opposition to broader cannabis reform.